1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to beverage containing and dispensing systems. It is particularly directed to a compartment that may be associated with a liquid container and that is to contain supplements for ingestion with water and other beverages.
2. State of the Art
Beverage container and dispenser systems associated with compartments have heretofore involved various features.
For example, chambers for mixing to achieve carbonation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,342, xe2x80x9cCarbonation Chamber with Sparger for Beverage Carbonationxe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,584, xe2x80x9cBeverage Carbonation Device.xe2x80x9d Other systems pertaining to compartments further include structure for osmotic mixing such as, for example, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,590, xe2x80x9cDelivery System With Bilayer Osmotic Enginexe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,265, xe2x80x9cOsmotic Device With Delayed Activation of Drug Deliveryxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,390 xe2x80x9cOsmotic Device With Delayed Activation of Drug Delivery.xe2x80x9d
Snap-on caps and over caps such as those disclosed respectively in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,472,121 and 5,813,575, though better suited for their intended nozzle protection may be regarded as compartment structure. A dispenser capable of delivering a plurality of drug units is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,381 and involves a compartment aspect, but is directed toward delivery of a plurality of discrete drug-containing units in a pattern or profile.
Nested vial and ampule designs are disclosed respectively in U.S. Pat. Nos. D325,340 and D325,341. The nesting structure forms compartments.
Heretofore, to enjoy the benefit of ingesting any vitamin, mineral, flavoring, nutrient, analgesic or other medicinal supplement or the like along with a beverage, such as water, it has been necessary to separately plan for and transport such supplement. Consequently, supplements that have been misplaced or forgotten have, on occasion, been unavailable for their intended use. Where it is important that such a supplement be used on a particular schedule, as is so where certain medicines are involved, this consequence is particularly disadvantageous.
Similarly, where the supplement has been remembered and made available but the beverage has been misplaced, forgotten or is otherwise unavailable, it may be uncomfortable, if not dangerous, to ingest some types of supplements without a beverage readily available to imbibe at essentially the same time. Indeed, some medicines are expressly designed for use concurrent with a liquid.
There is a need for a method of securely but temporarily associating a supplement with a beverage container.
A further need exists for a compartment that is associated with a beverage container and that is susceptible to the facile receiving, storing and dispensing of a supplement, which supplement is to be ingested concurrent or alternatingly with the imbibing of a beverage stored within the container.
There remains a need for a supplement compartment associated with a liquid container wherein the supplement is readily and facilely accessible and retrievable from the compartment for use with the liquid.
There is further yet a need for a supplement compartment whose design enhances efficiency of manufacture and assembly, as well as effectiveness of distribution and use.
The present invention provides an improved compartment affixed to a container, the compartment being structured and arranged to protectively and accessibly enclose a first substance and to enable association of the first substance with a second substance, the second substance being accessibly contained within the container, the association being for substantially combined use with the second substance.
The potential use of the first substance and second substance together may comprise essentially any bodily benefit to a biological organism, which organism may include essentially any vertebrate, in particular mammals and, more particularly, human beings. The first substance may comprise either or any combination of a vitamin, mineral, nutritional or medicinal supplement and, alternatingly or substantially concurrently with the second substance, may be either ingested, imbibed or breathed by, or injected into or topically applied to the biological organism or any portion of its body.
The second substance may include either a solid, or a semi-solid, or a liquid or a gas, but in one presently preferred embodiment comprises a beverage, which may be water.
In one presently preferred embodiment, the invention may comprise a compartment structured and arranged for temporary enclosure and selective disbursement of an edible supplement that is to be ingested substantially at the same time as and with a beverage dispensed from a container with which the compartment is physically associated.
The first substance may comprise either a solid, or a semi-solid, or a liquid or a gas. The solid may comprise a pill, tablet, granule, powder or the like. The semi-solid may comprise a paste, cream, gel, or the like. The liquid may comprise a hydrous or nonhydrous solution.
The present advance in the art may be actualized as a method of securely but temporarily associating an ingestible supplement with a liquid container. This method may comprise: providing an ingestible supplement within a compartment; providing a liquid within a container; and physically associating the supplement and compartment with the liquid and container. The cap and container may be physically associated with each other by structuring and arranging the cap to nest atop a dispenser end of the container.
As a part of this method, the compartment may be structured and arranged to be susceptible to the facile receiving, storing and dispensing of the supplement, such that the supplement may be readily accessible and retrievable from the compartment for use with the liquid. The supplement may be ingestible concurrent or alternatingly with the imbibing of the liquid stored within the container.
As a further enhancement to this method, the design of the compartment may be structured and arranged to nest atop a cap of substantially identical form, dimension and material to enhance efficiency of manufacture and assembly, as well as effectiveness of distribution and use.
Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied as a novel bodily refreshment dispensing system which comprises a vitamin, nutritional, mineral or medicinal supplement; a compartment for temporary storage of the supplement; a beverage, comprising water; and a container for temporary accessible storage of the beverage; wherein the compartment is connected to the container atop the container; and wherein the compartment is structured and arranged to accommodate selective access to the supplement stored therein and selective reclosure of the compartment. The access and reclosure may permit the imbibing of the beverage concurrent or alternatingly with the ingestion or imbibing of the supplement.
In summary, a typical embodiment of this invention comprises a bottle, generally of molded plastic, such as the ubiquitous water bottle. The bottle is provided with a suitable cap, which may be either threaded or press fit onto the conventional open top, or spout fixture of the bottle. The cap may be of any conventional or specialized type; typically being adapted for opening to dispense liquid through the cap. Examples of suitable cap structures are those of the xe2x80x9cpush-pullxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chinged lidxe2x80x9d type. Generally, the dispensing portion of the cap is covered with a removable/replaceable dust cap. According to this invention, the dust cap is enlarged, or otherwise structured, to accommodate a medicament or supplement; e.g., vitamin pills or aspirin. While it is within contemplation to position suitable pills, tablets, capsules, or the like, within an enlarged dust cover cap, it is currently preferred to mount a secondary storage compartment atop the dust cap, ideally in nested arrangement. The secondary compartment may be removed from the dispenser structure of the bottle in association with the dust cover, to permit drinking from the bottle. Alternatively, the secondary compartment may be opened or removed from the dust cap to access the contents of the compartment.